Meet the Artist: David Smith

Artist: David Smith - Charlotte, North Carolina

Before David Smith became a tattoo artist, he was already working in a creative field.

As an industrial designer, much of his work focused on medical mobility products combining creativity, problem-solving, and technical design.

But when his cousin offered him the chance to learn tattooing across the country, David decided to fully commit. He sold most of what he owned, left San Diego for Charlotte, and started over in a completely new career.

Today, that mix of fine art and technical design still influences the colorful character tattoos he creates for fellow anime and cartoon fans.

We caught up with David so you can get to know a little more about the artist behind the work.

What brought you to tattooing?

Before tattooing, I worked as an industrial designer, with most of my experience focused on medical mobility products.

I really enjoyed the work and found it rewarding, but tattooing ended up feeling like a much better path for me.

There's something different about creating directly for another person and getting to see how excited they are when the finished tattoo comes together.

That makes the work incredibly rewarding.

What made you take the leap?

My cousin Christian offered me a space to learn tattooing at his shop.

The only problem was that it was across the country.

I was living in San Diego at the time, so I sold most of my stuff and moved to Charlotte to give myself a real chance at pursuing it.

I even moved across the street from the shop so I could put as much time and energy into learning as possible.

It was a huge change, but I knew I was ready for something new and wanted to fully commit.

Who helped you get started?

Christian played a huge role.

He gave me the opportunity to learn, gave me space in his shop, and helped me in a lot of different ways as I was getting started.

He's also connected me with a lot of great people throughout the tattoo industry.

Getting to build this career while having close family around has been pretty special.

How did design shape your work?

I've been fortunate to learn a lot of different kinds of art.

When I was younger, I explored more traditional fine-art mediums, while college and my previous career introduced me to much more technical forms of design.

That experience helped a lot when I started tattooing.

I'm used to thinking about composition, form, how different elements fit together, and how an idea works visually as a whole.

That background still helps me grow and develop my style today.

What are your favorite anime?

Trigun, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood are some of my favorites.

Anime and cartoons are some of my favorite things to tattoo because I get to spend the day talking about something I enjoy with people who are into the same stuff.

Getting to turn a character someone already loves into a custom piece made specifically for them is a lot of fun.

What kind of work do you love?

I really enjoy color and character portraits.

Characters give you so much to work with—the expression, lighting, colors, personality, and the world they come from.

Anime especially has such a wide range of styles and emotions that every project can feel completely different from the last.

That's part of what keeps the work interesting for me.

What matters in your designs?

Every piece is different, so I approach each one based on the subject.

There's such a wide range of genres, characters, environments, and stories in anime that I don't think every tattoo should have the same feeling.

A dramatic scene should feel dramatic. A lighter character should still carry that personality.

I want the tattoo to capture the emotion that fits the character and the idea.

When do you feel like you've made it?

Honestly, I get that feeling pretty often.

Getting to tattoo all day, hang out with cool clients, and make art for a living still feels pretty great.

Seeing someone genuinely love the tattoo I created for them is one of the best parts.

Those reactions keep reminding me that I'm on the right path.

Have you ever wanted to quit?

Not really.

I've loved tattooing since I started, and I still do.

At this point, I can't really imagine myself doing anything else.

There's always more to learn, but that's part of what keeps it exciting.

Where are you now?

I'm at a point where I feel really confident in the work I'm creating, but I also know there's still a lot more I can learn.

I try to keep the same mindset I had when I first started.

Stay busy, keep learning, and don't get too comfortable.

There's always another way to improve.

Meet David in the Chair

David may have traded industrial design for a different kind of canvas, but his eye for detail and thoughtful approach to creating never went away.

Today, he gets to combine that background with his love for anime, color, and character art while spending his days creating for people who are just as excited about these worlds as he is.

Want to Get Tattooed by David?

If you haven't booked with David yet and his work feels like the right fit for your next tattoo, we'd love to hear your idea.

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